5 'Oregon Trail' Diseases You Could Still Get

You probably haven’t heard someone say, “I have measles” since your grade-school classmate was about to lose The Oregon Trail—you know, the classic computer game where you led folks on a wagon trip out west in 1848. But some of the debilitating diseases that killed your virtual clan back then, like typhoid fever and diphtheria, are actually still around today. Although you probably don’t travel in a covered wagon anymore, these illnesses could still strike when you’re in a foreign land.

1. Dysentery

It was always funny when “Joe has dysentery” popped up on your screen—but you wouldn’t be laughing if you were trekking alongside a buddy with bloody diarrhea. Since “the bathroom” wasn’t a place that actually existed on the trail, pioneers were exposed to germs from sick people’s poop, and naturally, dysentery spread. Today, the diseases that cause dysentery are contracted in unsanitary locations or in spots where there’s a breakdown in public health due to war or natural disasters, says Kathleen Squires, M.D., Director of the Division of Infectious Diseases at Jefferson University. If you’re ill, your doctor will give you an antibiotic to target the Shigella bacteria or another dysentery trigger.

2. Typhoid Fever

Characterized by high fevers and red spots on the abdomen, this illness—officially called Salmonella Typhi—killed about 10 to 20 percent of those who contracted it on the trail, according to Historic Oregon City. Since it was usually spread by unclean water, victims of the disease often faced gastrointestinal distress and confusion. Emigrants venturing west avoided drinking murky water but obviously didn’t have much knowledge on the transfer of bacteria, and would unknowingly expose themselves to the same water source that made them sick, says Oregon Trail historian Robert Munkres, Ph.D. Of the 5,700 yearly cases of typhoid fever in the U.S. today, most usually come from people traveling to India or Subsaharan Africa, Squires says. Ask your doctor for a typhoid vaccination if you’re planning to leave the U.S. If you develop the disease, your doc will treat you with antibiotics.

3. Cholera

The poor souls who contracted cholera on the trail experienced rapid dehydration. “Cholera can literally cause people to lose gallons of fluid through their gastrointestinal tract daily,” says Squires. If pioneers didn’t rehydrate, they likely died within 24 hours of first showing symptoms. Living through the first day generally meant you would be able to pull through after 5 to 7 days—but not before severe nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and cramps. Today, with cleaner, abundant water and food sources, your chance of exposure to the Vibrio cholerae bacteria is slim—especially in the United States. But 3 to 5 million people worldwide still suffer from cholera each year, and 100,000 die from it, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). People who acquire the bug today are given intravenous (IV) fluids and salt and electrolyte replacement, Squires says.

4. Diphtheria

Children on the trail suffered the most from diphtheria, whose bacteria can live for long periods of time outside of a host. Doctors were also susceptible to the disease due its ability to travel through the air from coughs, and survive on rarely cleaned medical instruments. Infected patients faced neck swelling, mucus that blocked airways, and damage to the heart, nervous system, and kidneys. Today, you can prevent the disease with the same vaccine you would use against a rusty nail: The Tdap vaccine defends against diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis, or whooping cough.

5. Measles

Air particles from coughs and itchy lesions facilitated quick transmission in covered wagons. Pneumonias and other breathing complications sometimes followed, and the only “medicine” a doctor on the trail might have used back then was a hot cup of tea. Today, the Measles Mumps & Rubella Vaccine (MMR) drastically decreases your chance of picking up the irritating illness. (Cheers to modern science!) But 90 percent of people who aren’t immunized and are in contact with someone with measles will catch it, according to the CDC. Growing fears of vaccinations and larger immigrant populations have caused a very small resurgence of the measles virus in certain parts of the United States—but the disease is far more prevalent worldwide, tallying 20 million cases a year, per the CDC. Although we’ve long moved past the days of putting leeches on the afflicted, there still isn’t a specific antiviral treatment for measles, except for the unproven drug ribavirin. So doctors will support your immune system by pumping your body with IV fluids, Squires says.

AVOID THESE AILMENTS

If you’re traveling to an impoverished, disease-ridden country, take the proper precautions to prevent coming down with an Oregon Trail ailment:

1. Roll up your sleeve. Injections can save your life, so make sure all of your vaccinations are up to date. If you’re leaving America, tell your doctor where you’re traveling and ask what immunizations you might need. Even if you received one as a child, your doc may recommend a booster shot. When you vaccinate, “the overall risk [of catching the illnesses] is lower and the severity is usually much less,” says Squires.

2. Study up. Before seeing the world with the pioneer spirit, visit the CDC’s website. Type in your destination, learn what illnesses thrive there, and follow the organization's tips for staying safe and healthy.

3. Watch what (and where) you eat. While away, it may be tempting to chow down on delicacies, but indulging in local cuisine could make you feel crummy. Eat and drink only what’s boiled and/or cooked well. And drink clean water out of plastic bottles whenever possible. (Mother Nature will understand.)

A Part of Hearst Digital Media
Men's Health participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites.